Hearty Black Bean Stew
This hearty black bean stew was inspired by the beloved Feijoada, a stew made of bean, beef, and pork, the national dish of Brazil. Although I don’t add beef or pork to my stew, like Feijoada, I slow cook the beans with a pork hock and sauté my onion and carrots in bacon drippings, Feijoada is typically made without vegetables, but in my stew, I add carrots, onions, and tomatoes. I also season my soup with red pepper flakes, ground cumin, adobo seasoning, and Goya’s Sázon with Saffron to make a truly Latin-inspired stew. Serve this stew over rice to make this dish a complete protein and enjoy a cup on a cold, fall or winter evening!
Ingredients
- 2 cups dried black beans
- 1 large yellow onion
- 5 medium carrots
- ¼ cup bacon drippings
- 1 x 2-pound pork hock
- 1 x 15 oz. can diced tomatoes
- 2 x 32 oz. boxes vegetable broth
- 3 large garlic cloves
- 1 t. ground cumin
- ½ t. red pepper flakes
- 2 t. fresh oregano
- 1 T. chopped cilantro
- ½ t. adobo seasoning
- 1 packet Goya’s Sázon with Azáfran, Saffron
- Juice of 1 lime
Directions
- Step 1 Soak the black beans in a large pot overnight, adding enough water to cover the beans with 3-4 inches of water. The next day, drain the water and set aside the beans.
- Step 2 The day of, remove the outer skin off the onion and cut in quarters, placing the pieces in a food processor bowl, if you have the luxury of having one. Next, wash and scrub the carrots, chopping them in 2-inch segments, and adding them to the food processor with the onions. Pulse until diced or chop by hand, scraping the contents into a large mixing bowl.
- Step 3 Then, heat the bacon fat in a nonstick, 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until it melts. Next, add the carrots, onion, cumin, and red pepper flakes. Sauté for 8-10 minutes or until the onion is translucent. While the vegetables are cooking, you can remove the outer skin off the garlic and mince by hand. You can also pull the oregano leaves off the stems and chop them by hand. Last, chop the cilantro leaves and don’t worry if you get stems. After the vegetables are done cooking, stir in the adobo seasoning, garlic, oregano, and cilantro.
- Step 4 Next, pour the vegetable broth in a large, 6-7-quart stockpot and add the onions, carrots, garlic, and spices—the cumin, red pepper flakes, oregano, cilantro, and adobo seasoning. Then, add the beans, pork hock, tomatoes, Goya’s Sázon with Azáfran, and lime juice. Heat on high until the stew comes to a boil and afterwards, reduce to a simmer. Mine called for medium to medium-low heat while covered when cooking. Lift the lid and stir occasionally during the cooking time, so the contents don’t stick to the bottom. Cook for 45-50 minutes or even an hour, until the beans are tender. Remove and serve when hot!
This hearty black bean stew was inspired by Feijoada, a stew made of bean, beef, and pork, the national dish of Brazil. But here I’ve added my own touch, like sautéing veggies in bacon drippings and seasoning beans with adobo, saffron, and red pepper flakes. Try it and see you’ll be hooked!
Nutritional Information: servings per recipe: 6, calories: 505, total fat: 11.4 g., saturated fat: 4.1 g., cholesterol: 8 g., sodium: 2203 mg., total carbohydrate: 74.9 g., dietary fiber: 16.2 g., total sugars: 22.3 g., protein: 25.1 g., calcium: 211 mg., iron: 7 mg., potassium: 1451 mg., magnesium: 47 mg., vitamin D: 0 mcg.